Dated twice 21.IV.34

Watercolour and pencil, 16 by 10 cm. (6 ¼ by 4 ins)

The following group of works are studies and study ideas for the painting Through the Arches of the Piazza of 1934 (Memorial Exhibition, no.5). This watercolour, alongside the earlier The Lion of St Mark, Venice, are unusual compositions for the artist in their particular focus on the busy bustle of the crowds and families in the heart of the city.

Diary notes the artist made in sketchbooks from the visit (in April and early May 1934) suggest that his primary interest was, despite this, not so much Venice’s people as its churches, museums, Palazzos and Scuola – home to the art that held such a central importance to his career.